When 3 friends decide to take a vacation together in the Hamptons, the last thing they expected was to be pulled into a murder investigation. May, Lauren, and Kelsey have been friends since they were teens. After a hiatus of not seeing each other in person, they vacation in a B&B in the Hamptons. On a night out on the town celebrating, the parking spot they are about to pull into gets taken by a younger couple who completely ignore the fact the friends were trying to pull into that same spot. Later that night, the three friends drunkenly write a note to put on the couple's car as a prank. The next morning they learn the man, David Smith, has gone missing and the cops trace it back to May, Lauren, and Kelsey.

This was a fairly decent mystery thriller. All 3 friends have secrets that are slowly revealed. This book started out strong, but the ending felt rushed and not flushed out. Very few details were given to explain. All the male characters were insufferable. May's fiance Josh is the worst. He's controlling and a complete ass-hat. Kelsey's step-brother Nate is very two dimensional, and her father is the stereotypical rich guy trying to throw money at everything to control the situation. The concluding chapters just listed what happened rather than build any suspense in the reveal. This had a lot of promise, but didn't finish as strong as it started.

The Note by Alafair Burke is about a vacation in the Hamptons that goes terribly wrong for three friends with a complicated history. I was excited to get this copy to read, but the story fell flat for me, and I did not like any of the characters.

May, Lauren, and Kelsey are long-time friends, and one bad decision on their first night out unravels a mystery where they all lie for each other.

The story was just okay. I did not connect with any of the characters and felt they were all a bit plastic and stereotypical. I didn't really care what was going to happen and just found myself reading it to get to the end. The Note is not one of my favorites by this author.

#TheNote #NetGalley @AAKnopf

The Note was aptly named. It is the story of three friends, May, Kelsey and Lauren who went on holiday to the Hamptons. May was a lawyer turned law professor, Kelsey worked in her father's real estate empire and Lauren was involved with the Houston symphony. Kelsey had been accused of murdering her husband, Luke.

The first night of the holiday, The three friends decided to go out for dinner. While waiting for a parking space, another car pulled in ahead of them. It really pissed them of. The couple who took their parking space got out of the car and went into the restaurant. While festering over the incident, Kelsey decided to leave a note on the other car's windshield stating that the guy was a cheater. May and Lauren thought it was a bad idea to leave the note but Kelsey did it anyway. The couple's names were David and Christine, and unbeknownst to May and Lauren, Kelsey had been dating. David.

David was murdered and in the midst of the investigation it was determined that Kelsey murdered him. So now she was accused of murdering both Luke and David. Enter Nate. He was Kelsey's half brother and he was there in the Hamptons at the time. When he learned that May was leaving early, Kelsey and Lauren invited him to come and stay at the house.

There had also been another death. Years prior, the friends were all counselors at a summer camp. Marnie had been an attendee and no one liked her. Her body had been found in the water and it was assumed that she jumped over the ledge and hit her head on a rock. With Kelsey having been accused of the murders of both of the men in her life, the investigation into Marnie's death was reopened.

Putting all the pieces of the puzzle together, May decided that Kelsey was guilty and she said as much to Detective Decker who was the detective investigating the murder. Lauren knew that Kelsey needed a lawyer and she asked May to do it. At first she didn't want to, but after reevaluating the evidence, she decided that Kelsey was innocent and agreed to represent her, at least for her arraignment. She was able to get her off on her own recognizance as long as she stayed in town with May.

While May was delving into the case, the plot took a huge turn. The twists and turns in the story was the author's clever way of sending the reader toward other possible scenarios. For instance, Kelsey's overprotective father had mafia hookups and he would stop at nothing to harm anyone who hurt his little girl. And her half brother, Nate, had an unhealthy attraction to her and wanted her all to himself. Also, no one knew where Christine was when the murder occurred.

This saga was really intriguing to me and I couldn't wait to find out who the culprit was. I didn't have it figured out until nearly the end. I gave it five stars.

Three best friends on a weekend getaway get embroiled in a murder mystery. Kind of a fun summer read. A weekend read. Unfortunately, it wasn't an "I loved it" read.

May is an attorney. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and Columbia. Worked for the DA's office, and is now a law professor. She has every reason to feel successful and confident, but she doesn't. She second guesses herself and constantly compares herself to Lauren and Kelsey. She also had something traumatic happen at the subway, which was videoed, and went viral.

Kelsey is beautiful and wealthy, but her husband died a few years ago under suspicious circumstances, and, thanks to the media, everyone believes she killed her husband.

Lauren is a successful composer who has been dating an older married man for 20-plus years. She had to leave a previous job at an arts camp because a camp counselor died under her watch.

Now they are all three entangled in another mysterious death, and as they all lie to each other, who's to tell if one of them isn't the killer?

This had the potential to be an interesting book, but it fell short in numerous areas.
1. The characters were boring. May perseverated throughout the book about her shortcomings and insecurities. Boring! May questions her relationship with her fiancé throughout the book. Boring! They all lie to each other about important things, and psycho-analyze each others motives.
2. It was predictable. I didn't figure out who the killer was, but all other plot points in the book were predictable.
3. The author kept bringing up the same events in their pasts, and it felt stagnant. I wanted to the book to move along, to progress...I kept saying to myself, "Yup, I got it. We know this already."

What did I like about it? It was just a summer, sit-by-the-pool and relax kind of book. No thinking required.

This is the first Alafair Burke I have read and I would definitely read another one. The book is set predominantly in the Hamptons and New York it revolves around three women who find themselves entangled in legal troubles and some strange murders. The plot twists are unexpected, but everything falls into place perfectly. I like the way they all had backstories and entanglements that were brought in throughout the story.

The pacing at the beginning and story was a little slow. The initial chapters drag a bit, making it somewhat challenging to get into the story. However, once the narrative gains momentum, it becomes addictive read. The slower start is quickly forgotten as the plot thickens and the tension builds, leading to a climax that is well worth the wait. The intricate plotting and character dynamics create a reading experience that is both engaging and rewarding.

Overall, this book is a fantastic blend of mystery, drama, and suspense, I found the book an enjoyable read that I would definitely recommend to fans of the genre.

The note seemed like a book I was going to enjoy based on the synopsis. But I just couldn't get into it. I disliked the toxic group of friends. The book kept dragging to get to the actual thriller part. The note just wasn't for me. The twist at the end did catch me off guard because the one person I wasn't expecting to be involved actually was.

Scandal and friends at a beach house and everything goes wrong. Murder and trying to solve the case between these three friends is at the forefront of the plot. I really enjoyed learning about their friendships and what happened to make them all cancelled and then the big twist about the murder sealed the deal for me. 5 stars and I hope this isnt the last we hear from this friend group.

This was my first of Alafair Burke’s books to read but I have heard wonderful things! I would say this book was a mild thriller and had she gone into more detail about some things it would have been too much for me but as it stands it was a great book and a quick read!

This was a very satisfying thriller. I loved the premise of the note on the car. The twists & turns of this book were very well done.

I have read several Alafair Books written with Mary Higgins Clark. This was my first book written by her. I do not mind a "slow burn" or given the backstory of the characters. However, I do not want to be overwhelmed by it all. It was OK for me. I would encourage others to read it. My opinion is mine alone. I most definitely would read other books by this author.

I am a pretty big Alafair Burke fan (I loved The Ex!) and enjoyed this one, though I did feel it went on a bit longer than it needed to. I was surprised by the twist near the end, but not blown away. Enjoyable.

I struggled with this one right from the start - the women are all obnoxious, entitled, and toxic. I could not find a real reason to keep reading, as I found myself not caring what happened to any of them. The build-up to May’s “secret” was a bit over the top, and by the time the missing person and the prank that proceeded it happened, I was more than ready to call it quits. DNF

Wow, just wow the plot twist was amazing!!! The first half of the book was a bit slow and I wasn't sure which direction the story was going, but the last half of the book had so many twists and turns. Just when I thought I had the suspect and their story figured out a new plot twist had me going a different direction. Will definitely be reading more books by this author!

Thank you NetGalley and the author for this ARC!

I am thinking this one needs some major editing.
There’s some good, but it’s way too long.
Takes too long to get into the story, and the final plot twist was underwhelming
The writer knows how to write, just not my cuppa.

Many thanks to Alafair Burke, Knopf, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel. Sadly, this was not for me. I had trouble staying engaged but decided to stick it out due to other good reviews. Your mileage may vary, as I seem to be an outlier on this one.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into this one. Grateful for the opportunity to try. I tend to not want to read books that mention the pandemic.

This book had so much promise. And it was, actually, good. But it's just too soon for pandemic references.

There's been a slew of new books with references to lockdown or political references and it's just too much, too soon. The amount of pandemic fatigue I have is immense and it's become a total turnoff in books for me.

None of what I'm writing makes sense and that's how blahouqwejkasdfkjawe I feel about pandemic plots in fictional books.

To be fair, the main character had a lot of anxiety - which seemed to be fueled by lockdowns - and her ability or inability to function again in the mainstream did power some of her choices in the story.

However, I like fictional books to be an escape from "real life" and this one didn't do it for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for an e-copy of THE NOTE to review.

I rate THE NOTE two out of five stars.

A vacation in the Hamptons goes wrong when three friends reunite for the first time in years. May, always the “good” girl, rule follower meets her closest friends for a weekend getaway in the Hamptons but what was supposed to be a relaxing reunion, quickly turns into something more sinister. May, Kelsey and Lauren have been friends for years and their bond is more than just love, there is tragedy, secrets and heartbreak tied in. Now with a police investigation, May has to untangle the weave of this friendship and figure out just how deep some secrets go.

This book was VERY promising but at the end, it was just sort of average. There is heavy mention of the shutdown and the pandemic and while I understand it’s a very real part of everyone’s life.. I don’t enjoy a story that references it too much. May’s fiancé is almost insufferable and acts more like her father than a fiancé. The actual suspense part was genuinely so good and kept my attention and Burke does a WONDERFUL job of keeping you changing your answer on who was guilty. With some genuinely fun plot twists this book had no problem keeping my attention and wanting to read. For me, I give it a 3.5/5⭐️ but definitely a book worth checking out when it releases if you don’t mind pandemic mention like i do! As always, thank you netgalley for the ARC!

I received an ARC copy of The Note from NetGalley; thank you to Alafair Burke and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Three old friends reconnect in a vacation rental. We primarily get the POV of May, with her law degree and background with the DA’s office coming in handy when someone winds up murdered.

It was soooo hard to put this book down! The backstory, characters and the twist were all incredible and sucked me right in.

I highly recommend the Note to anyone looking for a quick edge of your seat style thriller!

An engaging murder mystery! A well developed story that keeps you reading with all the intrigue and tension building the author writes.
Three friends, May, Lauren and Kelsey, bonded since age 12 reunite in the Hamptons for the first time in years. Each have secrets and each have sustained life events that have altered their lives. Known as the “Cancel Crew” they meet up to spend the weekend together, catching up and having fun. One night, they go out to a pub and after a slight altercation in the parking lot a note is left on the care in question by one of the women without the other’s knowledge. They later learn the male occupant of the car has disappeared and eventually is found murdered.
The author takes on a journey as the story unfolds. We learn the back story of each character that led to them being cancelled.
I appreciated the unfolding of May’s story the most. The author bravely describes the Asian hate experienced during the pandemic and gives us insight into the harmful effect it had on the character. I also appreciated the way the character is still examine her reaction to the situation years later and exploring her possible racial bias. So well done.
I enjoyed this book as I have others by this author. A solid 5 stars for me. Well written story, good character development, intrigue, mystery and entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for the arc. I leave those reviews voluntarily.